The story is getting interesting to me and I don't think is slow. The combination of Thriller, mystery and romance…
I think there are some dramas with 18 or less episodes being released that might fit your viewing consumer habits better, then. Myself, I find binge watching a whole drama in one day tiring, if it is over 4h long. But a 36 episodes one is made to watch in several sittings. I rather like this one at the moment and don't find it too slow. Happy holidays.
or iQIYI, depending on region (WeTV has a "Sorry, this video is temporarily unavailable in your area due to copyright restrictions." in my location at the moment).
iQIYI subbers have chosen to overtranslate sometimes, adding unnecessary translations of background on pics, such as "Soap" for a store that was selling it, despite it was not even visited by protagonists, only behind them in that pic, and the store had it already spelled out SOAP in the sign hanging there... But it is ok, not in league with hair raising Mango subs from watching experience.
The suggestion from Jenny park is still valid for the georestricted or pecuniary restricted.
I finished yesterday, adding the GIF and infos from some interviews (also touching on Seven Tan's XiaoYao next drama filmed this summer), and the "most important brocade piece" of China. Proofread once (some mistypes may still be in, but hopefully not many) and links checked to be for most part working (both explicit links and those hidden behind pictures), so for instance, you can find the almost complete playlist of Liu Yuning annotated by me in another drama, and linked to Cho Na's 114 items, and the almost complete playlist of Tan "Songshu"/Songyun's songs in addition to the OST where she had two songs. - Enjoy!
Overall? good first half...but a bad script in the last part of the drama.. with worst cliches , disgusting scenes…
pooh pooh, "psycho and evil" : you raise the character far above what he is. To me he was just one of the "buzzfly in the ointment" to make real ML look good, exchanging vows telepathically over an abyss and such.
(among my incarnations, I am also into underground and heavy metal rock, and have, as Ozzie quipped, met weird people, had some pretty rough chicken on the road and bit their head off, swam like the pilot fish along the great sharks' sides during its long travels lol. So I have a jaded view about small time drama "excesses" (like in Princess Agents?) or mere hints of (like here) in Chinese dramas which usually play it much safer than other countries entertainment do (Therefore my choice for you of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen").
It is not worth raising voices or starting a war. What you got so concerned about were mere potholes on the way. The good main couple actors are not to be blamed and neither is this drama so bad that it needs a flamethrower to aseptize it. I still maintain the story is overall interesting and can bring good food for thought, therefore worth forgetting some flaws that are not really major. Three weeks in top ten means I am not the only one of that persuasion.
Everyone can have their own opinions, of course. Sorry you did not like it. Wishing you more joy in the coming year.
I dropped it at ep36. That's how badly I wanted to like this drama!I tried to put up with it but it just kept…
paxxie I think you should have trudged on to review your opinion.
There are some things I regret about the end episodes but what you bring up is too exaggerated. Bai did not even use his drugs to bed JYY!!! He just wanted to keep her from raising a fuss, and perhaps be killed by some other antagonist and you will find out he was right about that. He suffered that he could not find love, perhaps, might think he could force it but did not bother using all the powers he had for that ; he had renounced sentiments since childhood, so his motivations were more... businesslike, yes! (Now, not like Zhao before, but you stayed on after his misdeed?) The deity thing was a rumor Bai did not create but probably some other enemies did, or people unknown with an agenda, who wanted to cash in on a story like those who elevated the princess Wencheng to such status in TIBET. I suppose that's why we got the hints about the geographical proximity of Tubo.... JYY certainly did not become nor care to become one!!! JYY or Bai were not even religious! Not at all Wencheng like.
Of course, since you probably are as stingy as I am about paying more to watch end episodes you may have been irked by the demand for "express package fee". I don't let myself be bothered by that. I have paid for vip subscription into 2026 for the four major Chinese platforms so I don't have a guilty conscience in using VPNs and other means to go on my own way. Watched till end already of course (lol) and finished the Companion piece (up in Discussions section) to explain some details for those unfamiliar with them. There is also a 120 illustrated character gallery for whom I found most of the actors/actresses. If you have time, take a peek, and enjoy.
Oh and merry Christmas to you if you celebrate it, or Hanukkah, ... Dongzhi was on the 20th
That depends on what sort of dramas you already like to watch. If it is just "for entertainment", and for "sizzle quality chemistry" (if you are in for that, may I recommend short, silly, but funny and tongue in cheek almost cult like Embrace In The Dark Night, a modern one, with skimpy dresses) perhaps you will not find it thrilling. If you like to puzzle about Chinese culture, history, and details of cultural treasures, then it's spot on.
Do use my Companion piece for more background and related info. Find it in the Discussions section above this comments one. It is long.... I stopped before inserting discussions of sayings and poetry that sometimes popped up ; hopefully Viki will as they use to, explain in footnotes of subtitles. The Companion piece is VERY illustrated, so you have pictures for everything, that link to more if you are very curious. There is also a character gallery wit snapshots and actor/actress short note with pic when available.
Both Brocade Odyssey and The Story of Pearl Girl are about women who are not striving to get into some harem, or even to visit the emperor's city, but who represent the people who made the Tang dynasty great through their crafts and thirst for independence. So the love stories are not totally central, just icing on the cake, at moments. Both dramas had serious consultants for the history and crafts parts, even though dramatization sometimes could err. Plotwise, since they are inspired from (but not faithful to) a novel, they are rather consistent, but like in all dramas I watched, you can spot some holes, so either you just shake your head and take it in stride, or you will start raising a fuss if you got so caught up in the story that you forgot this is just fiction.
For my part, I was very entertained; I like the lead actress, don't hate her MLs (even if one plays the role of a villain) and it was generally good for me, while I stopped at the gem-like details that I singled out for the Companion piece cultural notes (hebao, qiuxiu, Qianniu guards dropping from the eaves - what a laugh! - fish tallies etc.) Since this one commanded my warm attention for almost a month, I debated awarding it a generous 9.5 or 10 in ratings (I am always lenient in my ratings anyway; it's really seldom that I feel so annoyed that I'd slap a drama with a rating below 6. As to whether a drama is my all time favorite depends on much subjectivity and year I watched them in... sometimes also things like music, since I like to sing and pay attention to OST songs some of which stay with me.
Visually I liked all the costumes with their many colors, and the hairstyles were fun, even if it looks like some commenters thought they were ugly ; not me, I only thought some were impractical given circumstances, but when I look at pictures from the 1960s with women sporting high hair, and the statuettes of Tang people in museums, well: fashion already has tried this and that. These days, I'm testing for myself the Tang style elaborate buns: it's not that difficult to wear, and with a jeweled pin and comb keeping it all in place, it's rather neat, when I strum my guqin lol! I like Hanfu.... although some other styles are preferable at work. It's fun to cosplay, lol !
I liked Brocade Odyssey on first watch, re watched it along the way, still liked it a lot, there are moments of light hearted comedy, some well done sweet scenes (yes, the leads do kiss, even if they don't stay at it for hours and days), the dramatic ones can be painful, but this is a HE drama, so most of the time, pain won't last, even be turned around by the wit of the protagonist.
Towards the end, the scriptwriters wanted to be more ruthless, which was not altogether necessary, in my opinion (we already had a bloodbath in the beginning, did we need repeats?), and besides, that turned out almost as a plot hole since general Niu had not shown earlier that he had wuxia abilities like main MLs who had such mysterious training. One SFL had wuxia abilities too but did not use them much before the end, and it was not clear where she had them from. The rest of cast were ordinary citizens who had to rely on their wits and connexions to survive in the "interesting times" when old rules were challenged.
The story has some parallels with contemporary concerns : counterfeit items, changes in allegiances between allies, women at work's empowerment, family rules and choices...
ML and FL reconcile? Where did you mistake them to be at odds? Before YJL went to investigate in Nanzhao? That…
The companion piece is divided into 17 linked "sections" both to be easier to navigate and because MDL has a limit for long posts so I have had to copy part of them into other posts in the past, lest info be lost.
To navigate, the first post is not numbered but a Table where titles of sections are clickable to get directly to desired section. i.e. if you are interested in Brocade and how to get to the museum, click on title of section 12. If fish tallies and imperial guards, Qianniu, are something you are curious about, you can click on the title of section 13. If crew, book, airing dates, and platforms to watch are your first query, click on the title of section 1. and scroll down until you find the direct links (either spelled out or through the pictures which link to same). If you crave for music, want to know more about singers, including the singing of FL (she has both original personal songs and OST) turn to section 3....
At the moment, section 17 is blank and I may scrap it, since I got in already the info I thought could be of interest about goddess Lei Zu and explorer Zhang Qian, woven in with the section on brocade. :)
I only plan to make some GIF excerpts for interviews and perhaps add a little more in Interview/articles section 16. + maintain the popularity section 15. with weekly standing among "top ten" after the drama ended (next top ten is tomorrow). I maintain other companion pieces same way, numbering the weeks when the drama was among those top ten, until they fade out of sight, which is the fate of all TV series; after a while, they are only viewable but less discussed except by the fan bases which are an interesting kettle of fish that I sometimes dive into for explorations with or without guides/companions, because https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2x8oA5h5Jo. (sorry if a pesky ad creeps in : YT is a jungle too- shoot that ad down lol)
ML and FL reconcile? Where did you mistake them to be at odds? Before YJL went to investigate in Nanzhao? That…
You can find other options for watching directly and with subs , in section 1 ;) I have no scruples, because despite I am duly paid into 2026 as vip for most of the platforms except Netflix, I feel for the georestricted and otherwise viewing handicapped because of pesky reasons ;)
ML and FL reconcile? Where did you mistake them to be at odds? Before YJL went to investigate in Nanzhao? That…
Oh, now that I watched and rewatched much of Brocade Odyssey, and as much as I love the beginning of "Riverside Qingming", I may take a sabbatical from Tang and Song dynasties to fit in Johnny Huang and his "Love Song In Winter" on iQiyi. I was rather enthused by his recent drugs busting in the 1990s drama (there's a companion piece for it, too), so will follow.
ML and FL reconcile? Where did you mistake them to be at odds? Before YJL went to investigate in Nanzhao? That…
Thanks for liking! I am very pleased to find people who appreciate what I do. I am still adding more about brocade trade, silk stuff, and interviews... Should probably take time to proofread too, though I did go through a first time so hopefully there are not too many mistypes and strange phrases (some of the stuff is roughly translated from other languages ;)) But I do plan to "complete" at least in time for "official airing end".
I haven't watched the last 10 episodes because i was busy and with all these negative comments, I thought I would…
at the moment, yes, but I try not to get too caught up in it : it is indeed very time consuming... but I like to dig and look further than just "consuming a story". If some benefit from it, it's my pleasure, and interaction about some details can be rewarding, for corrections and additions ;) I like to sing too, the music section is rather comprehensive.
I was thinking maybe to add something about the Silk goddess and the travels of Zhang Qian. Maybe I'll do that in section 17 as an appendix, but not today ;) Need a rest after the marathon watch and compiling info.
They have made this drama as trash in last 10 episodes why tf is she crying when that sml psycho diedand ml and…
ML and FL reconcile? Where did you mistake them to be at odds? Before YJL went to investigate in Nanzhao? That was a misunderstanding only between them and JYY had gone out of her way to signal she'd be waiting for his return. The divorce later? It was fake, wasn't it? just paper to throw off those who wanted to harm them. They had reaffirmed vows even in exile over the abyss...
What's trash for some is gem for others. I liked this Brocade odyssey enough to do a long companion piece, focusing mostly on interesting to me details, those interested can peruse it in the Discussion section above this Comments one.
Could have hoped for a longer caravan part, and exploring more of Tubo. That's all. But 40 episodes was probably too short to get such in.
and it's true : you ought to learn how to use spoiler tags
Why were they wearing their wedding gowns if the wedding was the next day? I thought they were getting married.…
Rehearsing? Checking if those robes fit? The father's wedding dress probably needed alterations anyway since it had been made years before? They ended up marrying again off screen, not to show the rush since they were going to leave next day. (Would a few hours delay have been so severe, with Crown prince covering for them is another matter). The decree was a fine wedding gift and ending afaiac.
already done with ep 35. Zhao guy is there too ? did I miss something, why is he in this country too? ML wasn’t…
I see: you probably skipped the part when Bai abducted the brocade masters. Zhao was among them. Yingying was concerned about his disappearance in the context of other weavers and dyers diappearance. She tried to protect some into the Yang compound, but the Bloom society members were abducted as well before the staged Nanzhao attack on the city where General Niu had the military commissioner killed in order to take his position (and slaughter all opponents).
If you only watched for ZYC, you may have missed too the hidden "emergency (re)marriage" across the abyss, when he watched her being forced to follow Bai to Nanzhao. Some things go very quickly in these last episodes. It will perhaps be a rushed end. After all, the production could not go beyond 40 episodes.
This drama's viewership rating has surpassed 600 million. Wishing it to reach 1 billion in the shortest time possible…
That's really great ; adding the poster and explanations about what it means into the "popularity" section of the Companion piece, housed in Discussions.
To get to know more about some details such as places now and then like Duyun film city, Chengdu, Sandaoyan, Huanhuaxi, Qingcheng mountain, and Jiannan, Nanzhao, upcoming Tubo and more about Shu, fish tally, Qianniu guards, hebao, xiuqiu, and maybe more to come (ooh those neat brocade designs and colors, thank you to Evillyn for having unearthed those documents although the watermark spoils the views a bit, and it would be nice to know where they are from; I had only put in some of what was available from the drama Weibo and Shu brocade museum Weibo...), you can explore the Companion piece through the 'Table of contents' links to relevant sections. https://kisskh.at/discussions/shu-jin-ren-jia/132940-brocade-odyssey-companion-piece
Some parts are still "under construction" since the character gallery is rather sprawling and the available cast lists are not always very clear about who plays who. I have strived to find those I put in, and corrected some mistakes ; there might still be a few that crept in, since some were almost 'guesswork' from pictures of the actor/actress and names in the Baidu cast list. If I have time, I will check later with the end credits but you probably noticed they go.... very fast and are not easy to read here. Anyway, if you have time to kill in the 3 days gap : enjoy the added infos !
🙌🏻I put it on hold after the leads got married. The storyline become messy after that. Waiting for all to…
Yes, maybe you got a point. I am straying too. Riverside, Blossom, UtS also are so tempting. But I will finish the Companion piece nonetheless. Patiently. I did like much of the drama up till marriage, feeling a bit fidgety about the alcohol restriction and the (almost) no-kisses policy next, when Tan Songyun can do wonders of sweetness, as demonstrated in Road Home. Nevertheless, even if I ended up unsatisfied (until it ends I can't say where my opinion will rest) I would not casually slap a 1/10 rating as only haters of cast would. The AI face lift does not faze me. It was a way to save a lot of efforts of cast and brocade workers from ending up on the shelf like Immortality. The re-cut because of it may have made the drama veer slightly off course, but I don't think it did much to harm it, since the character stayed in. I was not going to watch for that actor anyway. They could have cut him off totally as far as I am concerned, but since there are perhaps doubts about his guilts, and he is busy suing for slander, it would not be fair to totally erase him there before a verdict is reached. Not sure there'll be an express package, but I am stingy and won't pay for more than my present subscription. Of course, that doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to watch the express anyway, But I am not going to hurry and binge or speed through with no idea what I would be skipping. I'll justtake it... slower.
2 
4 
1 
Myself, I find binge watching a whole drama in one day tiring, if it is over 4h long. But a 36 episodes one is made to watch in several sittings.
I rather like this one at the moment and don't find it too slow.
Happy holidays.
iQIYI subbers have chosen to overtranslate sometimes, adding unnecessary translations of background on pics, such as "Soap" for a store that was selling it, despite it was not even visited by protagonists, only behind them in that pic, and the store had it already spelled out SOAP in the sign hanging there... But it is ok, not in league with hair raising Mango subs from watching experience.
The suggestion from Jenny park is still valid for the georestricted or pecuniary restricted.
Happy holidays. :)
https://kisskh.at/discussions/shu-jin-ren-jia/132940-brocade-odyssey-companion-piece
Very illustrated as I usually do, and with latest infos about standing in top ten dramas watched the past week.
I finished yesterday, adding the GIF and infos from some interviews (also touching on Seven Tan's XiaoYao next drama filmed this summer), and the "most important brocade piece" of China. Proofread once (some mistypes may still be in, but hopefully not many) and links checked to be for most part working (both explicit links and those hidden behind pictures), so for instance, you can find the almost complete playlist of Liu Yuning annotated by me in another drama, and linked to Cho Na's 114 items, and the almost complete playlist of Tan "Songshu"/Songyun's songs in addition to the OST where she had two songs. - Enjoy!
Go listen to some seasonal music for some thrilling evil vibes, still up to date for this drummer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoBVkIHTrmM ; you can also have a look at a funny Bulgarian subtitled version stitched together by a Dio fan : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHJ6wKKAthc
(among my incarnations, I am also into underground and heavy metal rock, and have, as Ozzie quipped, met weird people, had some pretty rough chicken on the road and bit their head off, swam like the pilot fish along the great sharks' sides during its long travels lol. So I have a jaded view about small time drama "excesses" (like in Princess Agents?) or mere hints of (like here) in Chinese dramas which usually play it much safer than other countries entertainment do (Therefore my choice for you of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen").
It is not worth raising voices or starting a war. What you got so concerned about were mere potholes on the way. The good main couple actors are not to be blamed and neither is this drama so bad that it needs a flamethrower to aseptize it. I still maintain the story is overall interesting and can bring good food for thought, therefore worth forgetting some flaws that are not really major. Three weeks in top ten means I am not the only one of that persuasion.
Everyone can have their own opinions, of course. Sorry you did not like it. Wishing you more joy in the coming year.
There are some things I regret about the end episodes but what you bring up is too exaggerated. Bai did not even use his drugs to bed JYY!!! He just wanted to keep her from raising a fuss, and perhaps be killed by some other antagonist and you will find out he was right about that. He suffered that he could not find love, perhaps, might think he could force it but did not bother using all the powers he had for that ; he had renounced sentiments since childhood, so his motivations were more... businesslike, yes! (Now, not like Zhao before, but you stayed on after his misdeed?) The deity thing was a rumor Bai did not create but probably some other enemies did, or people unknown with an agenda, who wanted to cash in on a story like those who elevated the princess Wencheng to such status in TIBET. I suppose that's why we got the hints about the geographical proximity of Tubo.... JYY certainly did not become nor care to become one!!! JYY or Bai were not even religious! Not at all Wencheng like.
Of course, since you probably are as stingy as I am about paying more to watch end episodes you may have been irked by the demand for "express package fee". I don't let myself be bothered by that. I have paid for vip subscription into 2026 for the four major Chinese platforms so I don't have a guilty conscience in using VPNs and other means to go on my own way. Watched till end already of course (lol) and finished the Companion piece (up in Discussions section) to explain some details for those unfamiliar with them. There is also a 120 illustrated character gallery for whom I found most of the actors/actresses. If you have time, take a peek, and enjoy.
Oh and merry Christmas to you if you celebrate it, or Hanukkah, ... Dongzhi was on the 20th
Do use my Companion piece for more background and related info. Find it in the Discussions section above this comments one. It is long.... I stopped before inserting discussions of sayings and poetry that sometimes popped up ; hopefully Viki will as they use to, explain in footnotes of subtitles. The Companion piece is VERY illustrated, so you have pictures for everything, that link to more if you are very curious. There is also a character gallery wit snapshots and actor/actress short note with pic when available.
Both Brocade Odyssey and The Story of Pearl Girl are about women who are not striving to get into some harem, or even to visit the emperor's city, but who represent the people who made the Tang dynasty great through their crafts and thirst for independence. So the love stories are not totally central, just icing on the cake, at moments. Both dramas had serious consultants for the history and crafts parts, even though dramatization sometimes could err. Plotwise, since they are inspired from (but not faithful to) a novel, they are rather consistent, but like in all dramas I watched, you can spot some holes, so either you just shake your head and take it in stride, or you will start raising a fuss if you got so caught up in the story that you forgot this is just fiction.
For my part, I was very entertained; I like the lead actress, don't hate her MLs (even if one plays the role of a villain) and it was generally good for me, while I stopped at the gem-like details that I singled out for the Companion piece cultural notes (hebao, qiuxiu, Qianniu guards dropping from the eaves - what a laugh! - fish tallies etc.) Since this one commanded my warm attention for almost a month, I debated awarding it a generous 9.5 or 10 in ratings (I am always lenient in my ratings anyway; it's really seldom that I feel so annoyed that I'd slap a drama with a rating below 6. As to whether a drama is my all time favorite depends on much subjectivity and year I watched them in... sometimes also things like music, since I like to sing and pay attention to OST songs some of which stay with me.
Visually I liked all the costumes with their many colors, and the hairstyles were fun, even if it looks like some commenters thought they were ugly ; not me, I only thought some were impractical given circumstances, but when I look at pictures from the 1960s with women sporting high hair, and the statuettes of Tang people in museums, well: fashion already has tried this and that. These days, I'm testing for myself the Tang style elaborate buns: it's not that difficult to wear, and with a jeweled pin and comb keeping it all in place, it's rather neat, when I strum my guqin lol! I like Hanfu.... although some other styles are preferable at work. It's fun to cosplay, lol !
I liked Brocade Odyssey on first watch, re watched it along the way, still liked it a lot, there are moments of light hearted comedy, some well done sweet scenes (yes, the leads do kiss, even if they don't stay at it for hours and days), the dramatic ones can be painful, but this is a HE drama, so most of the time, pain won't last, even be turned around by the wit of the protagonist.
Towards the end, the scriptwriters wanted to be more ruthless, which was not altogether necessary, in my opinion (we already had a bloodbath in the beginning, did we need repeats?), and besides, that turned out almost as a plot hole since general Niu had not shown earlier that he had wuxia abilities like main MLs who had such mysterious training. One SFL had wuxia abilities too but did not use them much before the end, and it was not clear where she had them from. The rest of cast were ordinary citizens who had to rely on their wits and connexions to survive in the "interesting times" when old rules were challenged.
The story has some parallels with contemporary concerns : counterfeit items, changes in allegiances between allies, women at work's empowerment, family rules and choices...
To navigate, the first post is not numbered but a Table where titles of sections are clickable to get directly to desired section. i.e. if you are interested in Brocade and how to get to the museum, click on title of section 12. If fish tallies and imperial guards, Qianniu, are something you are curious about, you can click on the title of section 13. If crew, book, airing dates, and platforms to watch are your first query, click on the title of section 1. and scroll down until you find the direct links (either spelled out or through the pictures which link to same). If you crave for music, want to know more about singers, including the singing of FL (she has both original personal songs and OST) turn to section 3....
At the moment, section 17 is blank and I may scrap it, since I got in already the info I thought could be of interest about goddess Lei Zu and explorer Zhang Qian, woven in with the section on brocade. :)
I only plan to make some GIF excerpts for interviews and perhaps add a little more in Interview/articles section 16. + maintain the popularity section 15. with weekly standing among "top ten" after the drama ended (next top ten is tomorrow). I maintain other companion pieces same way, numbering the weeks when the drama was among those top ten, until they fade out of sight, which is the fate of all TV series; after a while, they are only viewable but less discussed except by the fan bases which are an interesting kettle of fish that I sometimes dive into for explorations with or without guides/companions, because https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2x8oA5h5Jo. (sorry if a pesky ad creeps in : YT is a jungle too- shoot that ad down lol)
I have no scruples, because despite I am duly paid into 2026 as vip for most of the platforms except Netflix, I feel for the georestricted and otherwise viewing handicapped because of pesky reasons ;)
I am still adding more about brocade trade, silk stuff, and interviews... Should probably take time to proofread too, though I did go through a first time so hopefully there are not too many mistypes and strange phrases (some of the stuff is roughly translated from other languages ;))
But I do plan to "complete" at least in time for "official airing end".
Happy Xmas or Hanukkah or other end of year revels in advance to those who celebrate. Soon time to switch on those songs : 大雪 Da xue by the girls from Chengdu better known from their member Zhao Fangjing : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoJy3W-4hxE ; then there's that nice song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqeJ38DThVc&list=RDEMhFErw8q7S9D0470t9jeJ2A&start_radio=1&rv=k-W2Bkz_Rno (totally in sync with Chinese good wishes), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fj7UGnWtNU (Danish people and the Nisse love zhou, just like rats love rice, hah!), and of course https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjeG3eT9Ixo, to go beyond until Jan6.
If some benefit from it, it's my pleasure, and interaction about some details can be rewarding, for corrections and additions ;)
I like to sing too, the music section is rather comprehensive.
Ypu can have a quick look at my Companion piece for some chosen snapshots and many details with lavish illustrations.
https://kisskh.at/discussions/shu-jin-ren-jia/132940-brocade-odyssey-companion-piece
I was thinking maybe to add something about the Silk goddess and the travels of Zhang Qian. Maybe I'll do that in section 17 as an appendix, but not today ;)
Need a rest after the marathon watch and compiling info.
Before YJL went to investigate in Nanzhao? That was a misunderstanding only between them and JYY had gone out of her way to signal she'd be waiting for his return.
The divorce later? It was fake, wasn't it? just paper to throw off those who wanted to harm them. They had reaffirmed vows even in exile over the abyss...
What's trash for some is gem for others.
I liked this Brocade odyssey enough to do a long companion piece, focusing mostly on interesting to me details, those interested can peruse it in the Discussion section above this Comments one.
Could have hoped for a longer caravan part, and exploring more of Tubo. That's all. But 40 episodes was probably too short to get such in.
and it's true : you ought to learn how to use spoiler tags
They ended up marrying again off screen, not to show the rush since they were going to leave next day. (Would a few hours delay have been so severe, with Crown prince covering for them is another matter). The decree was a fine wedding gift and ending afaiac.
you probably skipped the part when Bai abducted the brocade masters. Zhao was among them. Yingying was concerned about his disappearance in the context of other weavers and dyers diappearance. She tried to protect some into the Yang compound, but the Bloom society members were abducted as well before the staged Nanzhao attack on the city where General Niu had the military commissioner killed in order to take his position (and slaughter all opponents).
If you only watched for ZYC, you may have missed too the hidden "emergency (re)marriage" across the abyss, when he watched her being forced to follow Bai to Nanzhao.
Some things go very quickly in these last episodes.
It will perhaps be a rushed end.
After all, the production could not go beyond 40 episodes.
busy end of year. Add Riverside too ;)
To get to know more about some details such as places now and then like Duyun film city, Chengdu, Sandaoyan, Huanhuaxi, Qingcheng mountain, and Jiannan, Nanzhao, upcoming Tubo and more about Shu, fish tally, Qianniu guards, hebao, xiuqiu, and maybe more to come (ooh those neat brocade designs and colors, thank you to Evillyn for having unearthed those documents although the watermark spoils the views a bit, and it would be nice to know where they are from; I had only put in some of what was available from the drama Weibo and Shu brocade museum Weibo...),
you can explore the Companion piece through the 'Table of contents' links to relevant sections.
https://kisskh.at/discussions/shu-jin-ren-jia/132940-brocade-odyssey-companion-piece
Some parts are still "under construction" since the character gallery is rather sprawling and the available cast lists are not always very clear about who plays who. I have strived to find those I put in, and corrected some mistakes ; there might still be a few that crept in, since some were almost 'guesswork' from pictures of the actor/actress and names in the Baidu cast list. If I have time, I will check later with the end credits but you probably noticed they go.... very fast and are not easy to read here.
Anyway, if you have time to kill in the 3 days gap : enjoy the added infos !
But I will finish the Companion piece nonetheless. Patiently.
I did like much of the drama up till marriage, feeling a bit fidgety about the alcohol restriction and the (almost) no-kisses policy next, when Tan Songyun can do wonders of sweetness, as demonstrated in Road Home.
Nevertheless, even if I ended up unsatisfied (until it ends I can't say where my opinion will rest) I would not casually slap a 1/10 rating as only haters of cast would.
The AI face lift does not faze me. It was a way to save a lot of efforts of cast and brocade workers from ending up on the shelf like Immortality. The re-cut because of it may have made the drama veer slightly off course, but I don't think it did much to harm it, since the character stayed in. I was not going to watch for that actor anyway. They could have cut him off totally as far as I am concerned, but since there are perhaps doubts about his guilts, and he is busy suing for slander, it would not be fair to totally erase him there before a verdict is reached.
Not sure there'll be an express package, but I am stingy and won't pay for more than my present subscription. Of course, that doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to watch the express anyway, But I am not going to hurry and binge or speed through with no idea what I would be skipping. I'll justtake it... slower.